“Today’s action by the Senate is further proof that the interests of California’s children can have a voice in Sacramento,” said Renee Sharp, head of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group's California office.

She said the measure was particularly important “since babies and children are most vulnerable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals" such as BPA.

The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) and state Assembly member Betsy Butler (D-Marina Del Ray) would ban BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups made or sold after July 1, 2013. It would also require manufacturers to use the least toxic alternative to BPA in those products. Similar efforts have failed in recent years.

Supporters have urged California to follow the lead of other states and nations in restricting BPA.

Opponents argued that the bill could open companies to lawsuits if the chemical is found in baby products after the ban takes effect.

Photo: Holly Schafer feeds daughter Alexandria formula in a plastic bottle. Bisphenol A, a compound found in many plastic baby bottles and other food containers, has been linked to reproductive problems in animals. The San Clemente mother said she was unaware of studies that suggest that a chemical, bisphenol A, can leach from the plastic. Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times.